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Long term exposure to "low levels" of manganese oxides and neurofunctional changes in ferroalloy workers

LUCCHINI, Roberto;APOSTOLI, Pietro;PLACIDI, Donatella;ALBINI, Elisa;ALESSIO, Lorenzo
1999-01-01
1999
Ateneo di appartenenza
LS5_8 Behavioral neuroscience (e.g. sleep, consciousness, handedness)
LS7_5 Toxicology
LS7_10 Public health and epidemiology
NEUROTOXICOLOGY
2-s2.0-0032997527
WOS:000080850400015
Inglese
Internazionale
20 (2-3)
287
298
Abstract Occupational exposure to manganese can cause early neurobehavioral effects in low- or a-symptomatic workers. A battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to a group of 61 ferroalloy male workers and 87 controls. The average (geometric mean) manganese concentrations in total dust at the plant have changed from 1981 to 1997 respectively from 1597.03 micrograms/m3 to 239 micrograms/m3 at the furnace area; from 151.53 to 255.76 micrograms/m3 at the casting area; from 167 to 54.7 micrograms/m3 at the maintenance (welding operations), yielding a current overall value of 54.25 micrograms/m3. A cumulative exposure index was calculated for each alloy worker and the average value (geometric mean) resulted to be 1204.87 micrograms/m3 x years, which divided by the average length of exposure (15.17 years), showed the concentration of 70.83 micrograms/m3 of manganese in total dust. Blood and urinary manganese geometric means resulted significantly higher in the exposed workers (9.18 micrograms/l and 1.53 micrograms/g creatinine, respectively) than in controls (5.74 micrograms/l and 0.40 microgram/g creatinine, respectively). A positive correlation was observed between the airborne manganese concentrations in total dust and blood manganese (n = 55; R = 0.36; R2 = 0.13; p = 0.0068), whereas no association resulted between cumulative exposure index and both blood manganese and urinary manganese. Higher prevalence of symptoms reporting was observed in the alloy workers concerning irritability, loss of equilibrium and rigidity. Tremor parameters including the central frequency and its dispersion, resulted to be statistically different in the exposed workers compared to the controls. Motor functions exploring the coordination of rapid and alternating movements and memory functions resulted to be impaired in the manganese workers. Dose-effect relationships were observed between the cumulative exposure index and some of the test results, whereas no relationship was found with the airborne manganese concentrations and the biological indicators of exposure. These findings are consistent with the existing knowledge of a cumulative mechanism of action of manganese, which must be carefully considered when setting safe exposure levels. In order to be protective for the entire working life, the average annual exposure level should be lower than 100 micrograms/m3. PMID: 10385891 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Adult; Air Pollutants/adverse effects; Biological Markers/analysis; Dose-Response Relationship; Humans; Manganese Compounds; Nervous System Diseases/chemically induced; Occupational Exposure/adverse effects; Oxides/toxicity
10
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
262
Lucchini, Roberto; Apostoli, Pietro; Perrone, C; Placidi, Donatella; Albini, Elisa; Migliorati, P; Mergler, D; Sassine, Mp; Palmi, S; Alessio, Lorenzo...espandi
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11379/27444
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